Growing up in India, Gitanjali Rawat never thought she would end up living in the U.S. She had planned to stay in India, but life had different ideas for her.

Although she was born in the city Kodaikanal, Ms. Rawat frequently moved around the country. Her father was a forest officer—a government official who maintains the country’s forests—and his job required the family to relocate often. Gitanjali completed a master’s degree in mass communication and moved to Mumbai where she worked in strategic planning and research for a television station.

In 2010, Ms. Rawat moved to the U.S. with her husband. Since he was already an American citizen, she decided to leave her career and go Dallas with him. Gitanjali was struck by the incredible differences between American and Indian culture. From grocery shopping to dining at a restaurant to the currency, so many things were done differently.

Her husband’s career required the two of them to moved often, just as she had done as a child. After a few months in Dallas, Gitanjali lived in San Francisco and Vancouver before settling down in San Francisco. Currently, Ms. Rawat works for Upwardly Global where she helps provide career services for her fellow immigrants. She and her husband live in San Francisco.